Double-disk wheel



Nov, 18, 1924. I 1,516,048

A. M. 'LOFLAND I DOUBLE DISK WHEEL Filed Jan, 26 1920 WWII! Patented Nov. l8, i924.

rnr rnrs ALFRED M. LOFLAND,

ran

OF LANON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LES C.

WELLIS, OF INDIANAPOLI$, INDIANA.

DOUBLE-DISK W i a Application filed January 28, 1920. derlal 150. $54,075.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALFRED M. LorLANn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Boone and State. of Indiana, have invented new and useful ture and upkeep be reduced to a minimum;v

that the strength under any load condition encountered be of the maximum required with the minimum of weight in the wheels;

that the be symmetrical and therefore have the pro or appearance; that they be of the simplest possible form and made standard for the various equipment that go to make up the complete wheel; that the same be accompanied by the elimination of any materialor features which has no strength giving value; and that they do not become distorted or noisy because of unseen internal frictional forces thereby causing their ultimate destruction.

Broadly stated, therefore, my invention has to do with the construction of metal wheels calculated to accomplish among other things the results referred to in the preceding paragraph. Specifically the invention relates to a stamped or pressed double disk wheel in which there is provided a hub or a'hub sleeve having a securing flange at one end thereof, a pair of sheet metal disks provided with central bores of less diameter than the hub or hub sleeve but drawnitowards each other to telescope thereoverand to fit snugly thereon, a bracing center inter disks and provided with portions located adacent to the drawn portions of said disks, and means for directly securing said disks, hub or hub sleeve and bracing center to each other. v 1

. Uther features, advanta istics of my invention wi a pear from' the detailed description es and charactermore full apelow osed between said taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which:

Figure 1 illustrates a side View of a com-' plete wheel embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is across section, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the invention, omitting'the tire and that portion of the wheel below the hub.

Referring tothe drawing .in detaih the reference numeral 4 designates the axle, 5 the ball race, 6 the ball bearings, F -8 the hub driving flange, 9 the hub or hub sleeve,

and 10 a flange on said hub or hub sleeve contacting with the hub driving flange of a conventional form of wheel.

Mounted upon the hub sleeve 9 are two disks 11 and 12 of stampable material, preferably sheet metal, provided with drawn portions 13 and 14 telescoping over the hub sleeve and turned towards eachother as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. lhe disks 1-1 and 12, by proper stamping operations, are rovided respectively with peripheral alanges l5 and 16 preferably extending in a lateral direction towards the inside of the wheel, thus leaving theontside of the finished wheel perfectly smooth from the hub sleeve thereof to the periphery of the sheet metal disks.

Surrounding the hub sleeve is an annular spacer or bracing center 17 which is provided with portions located adjacent to the drawn portions 13 and 14 of the disks 11 and 12 and which determines the distance between said disks, Also assembled on the hub sleeve in contact with the-outer face of the inner sheet metal disk 12 is a brake drum or member 18. As will-be readily apparent from a casual inspection of Fig. 3 the outer face of the flange 10 of the hub sleeve normally bears against the inner face of the hub flange 8. Located between the flange l0 and spacer 17 is the central portion of the outer sheet metal disk 11 and located between the spacer l7 and the inner face of the brake drum or member 18 is the central portion of the inner sheet metal disk 12. The driving flange 8, hub flange 10,

are provided with a plurality of registering. perforations through which the securing bolts 19 extend, the construction being such that when the nuts 19 and 19 on the ends of these bolts are tightened the various parts just mentioned are firmly secured to each other.. The bolt 19 is provided at an intermediate point with an enlargement 19 adapted to engage with a correspondingly formed depression in the outer face of flan e 10, thus enabling in actualpractice the hu sleeve 9, disks 11 and 12, spacer 17 and brake drum 18 to be secured rigidly to, each other and assembled in lace before the driving flange 7 is secure thereto, as will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art. And it will be clearly apparent that for wheels adapted to be employed for the front axle, a ring plate or member (not shown in the drawings) may be substituted in lieu of the brake drum or member 18. The .hub sleeve extends completely through the center of the wheel and in conjunction with the flange 10 forms a circular channel into which the metal disks are fitted.

A. metal felloe-band or rim 20,'preferably channeled and having its flanges bent in an appropriate manner, is secured directly to the overlapping disk flanges 15 and 16 In the form shown the securing means comprises a plurality of rivets 2i preferably located in the load plane passing through the roller bearings 6. Secured to the rim 20 by means of the usual tire bands and fasteners, including bolts 22 and clamps 23, is a conventional form of pneumatic tire 21. 24 is a valve hole in the flanges and 25 is a pocket or depression in the disk 12 for the free amembly of the valve.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l have devised a very simple form of wheel provided with inner and outer stamped or ressed sheet metal wheel forming mem hers which ap-roach each other in a radial direction anwhich are preferably provided with inwardly bent overlapping. flanges rigidly secured to each other anl ada ted to form a tire supporting device, in com ination with improved means for connecting the metal wheel members to the hubs. The means for securing the flanges to each other, and the" means connecting the metal wheel members to the hub sleeve are the only connecting means between the sheet metal wheel members. Thus it will be seen that the outer faces of the sheet connections having no strength qualities. The laterally bent overlapping peripheral flanges on the disks ll and 12 not only relapse provide an efi'ective tire supporting means and enable a direct connection of a rigid character between the stamped metal wheel forming members, but also form a circumferential construction of great strength because any stresses or strains set up in one are at least partially absorbed by the other, thereby rendering it impossible to distort, collapse or otherwise injure this portion of the wheel.

To sum up, my invention comprises, among other things, sheet metal disks provided with centers drawn inwardly toward each other and a spacer located between said disks which preferably engages the drawn portions thereof, with a View of causing a tight engagementof the disks with the cylindrical surface of the wheel hub sleeve. The advantages of this construction are that the disks are simple to make,,.less expensive and the bore of the stampings can be made smaller so that when a standard Wood wheel hub is pressed on the drawn portions of the disk will grip the hub sleeve making. a neat and practical fit. Furthermore, the tightening of the securing bolts causes the built-up center to nestle, that is, there are no obstacles that would tend to holdthe parts away from one another when the bolts are tightened. It also will. be apparent that when the bolts are tightened, the drawn portions are forced towards the axis of the hub sleeve thereby efiecting a tight engagement between the hub sleeve and the disks which will naturally take away a part of the strain which would otherwise occur at the perforations through which the securlng bolts are passed. Briefly stated, the invention has to do with a construction in which the tightening of the securing bolts 19 causes the nestling action of the different parts thereby making a better and more snug fit of the disks to the hub sleeve. Furthermore, in the construction shown, the disks 11 and 12 are perfectly free-to move toward each other under the action of he bolts 19 until they engage with the outer surfaces of thespider or bracing center. These features of construction so far as l am aware, are not shown anywhere in the prior art. lit may be further pointed out that the driving flange may be removed without disturbing the connection between the comonent parts of the wheel. This is efi'ected y means of a double ended bolt, one end of which is! ada ted to secure the hub sleeve, the disksand t e spider rigidly to one another and the other end of which is adapted to be connected to the driving flange '?8 and consequently the driving axle to whichsaid flange s connected may be removed without disturbing the wheel proper from its mountmg upon the wheel housing. "lhese features of construction so far as l am aware are also novel,

llll

emma disks being drawn inwardly towards each other at said bores to effect a snug engagement of the disks with the hub sleeve, a bracing center interposed between said disks and engaging the drawn portions thereof, a member located upon the inner end of the hub sleeve, a driving flange, and means for securing said hub sleeve, disks, bracing center and member to said driving flange- 2. In almetal wheel,ahub sleeve provided with a securing flange at one end thereof, a pair of sheet metal disks provided with central bores of less diameter than the hub sleeve but drawn towards each other to telescope thereover and to fit snugly thereon, a bracing center interposed between said disks and provided with portions which engage with the drawn portions of said disks, and means for directly securing said disks, hub sleeve and bracing center to each other.

3. In a metal wheel, a hub sleeve provided with a securing flange at one endthereof, a pair of sheet metal disks provided with the centers thereof stamped therefrom toprovide bores of less diameter than the hub sleeve but drawn inwardltowards each other at the periphery of t e bores to telescope over and-to fit upon the hub sleeve a spacer interposed between said disks an provided with portions shaped to enga e the interior drawn portions of said dis s whereby when said disks and spacer are clamped to each other the drawn portions of said disks tightly engage said hub sleeve, and means for clamping said disks and spacer to each other and for securing the same to the flange of said hub sleeve.

4. Inametal .wheehahub sleeve provided with a securing flange at one end thereof, a

air of sheet metal disks provided with liores at the center thereof drawn inwardly towards each other and telescoping over said hub sleeve, a spacer interposed between said disks and adapted to engage the drawn portions of said disks to cause a tight engagement of the latter with the hub sleeve, and means for unitin said hub sleeve, disks and spacer to eac other.

5. A sheet steel wheel structure adapted for application to a hub sleeve, consisting V of a pair of sheet metal disks having central bores with the metal around the bores drawn inwardly towards each other so that the outer surfaces of said drawn portions are adapted to fit upon and engage the cylindrical portion of said hub sleeve, and a spacer interposed between said disks having a portion which engages with the interior surface of the drawn portions of said disks, and means for clamping said disks to said spacer and thereby causing a tight engagement of said drawn portions with the hub sleeve. v

6. In a metal wheel construction, a hub sleeve extending completely through the center thereof and provided at its outer end with an integral flange, a brake member at the inner end of said hub sleeve, a pair of sheet metal disks interp osed'between said flange and member, and a bracing center for said disks, in combination with means for securing said hub sleeve, disks, center and brake member to each other comprising a bolt having at an intermediate,

flange so that the outer end thereof is 10- cated substantially in the plane of the outer surface of said hub flange, and a driving flange provided with perforations through whichthe other end of said bolt passes, and clamping means on the respective ends of saidbol 7. In a metal wheel .construction, a hub sleeve extending completely through the center thereof and provided at its outer end with an integral perforated annular flange a perforated member at the inner end 0 i said hub sleeve, apairvof perforated sheet metal disks interposed between said flange and member, a s acer for said disks, a perforated driving an e and meansfor securing said flanges, dis s, member and s acer rigidly to one another so that the. driving;

flange maybe removed without disturbing the connection between the other parts comprising a double ended bolt one end of which is adapted to secure the said hub flange, member and disks rigidly to each other and the other end of which 1s adapted to be connected to said driving. flange.

8. In a metal wheel construction, a hub sleeve extending completely through the center thereof and provided at its outer end with an integral annular flange having counter-sunk perforations therein, a perforated member on the inner end of said hub sleeve,

a pair of perforated sheet metal disks interposed between said flange and member, a spacer between said disks, and means for securing said flange, sheet metal disks, spacer and member to each other comprising a double ended bolt one end of which passes through the perforations of said flange, member and disks with the head thereof located in the counter-sunk perforctions of said hub fienge, the other end of said bolt serving to secure the driving things to said wheel. 1

3. A sheet steel wheel structure comprisinge hub sleeve, a peir of sheet metal disks, e specer between said disks end at double endv ed bolt, one endof said .bolt being employed with bores at the center thereof, each of saiddisks being provided at the bores thereof with an inwardly drawn portion which engages with the hub sleeve, e portion inclined inwardly towards the other disk, and e rsdiel portion connectin seid drown end inwerd'ly inclined portions, in combination 7 with a spacer the end surfaces of which are located in radial planes end which contact" snbstentieily thron hont their entire extent with the inner sur noes of said radially extendin portions of said disks,

11.' n a metal wheel, a hub sleeve pro- I vided with n securing Henge at one end thereof, at pair of sheet metal disks provided with bores at the center thereof, each or said disks being brovided at the bores thereof with an inwardly drown portion which engages with the hub sleeve, a peripheral portion inclined inwardly towsrds the other 31,5 tense disk and e radially extending portion connecting said drawn and inclined portions, in combination with s specer the end surfaces of which are adopted to engage with the drawn and redielly extending portions of .werds each other at said bores to edect n snug engagement of the disks with the hub sleeve a; brecin' center interposed between said disks and locoted'ndjacent the drawn portions thereof, e member located upon the 1 inner end of the hub sleeve, e driving flange,

and means for securing said hub sleeve,

disks, bracing center end member to said drivin flange.

13. in a. motel wheel, a hub sleeve provided with e securing flange at one end thereof, n pair of sheet metal disks provided with central bores of less diameter than the hub sleeve but drawn towards each other to telescope thereover and to fit snugly thereon, e bracing center interposed between said disks and provided with portions located adjacent to the drawn portions of said disks, and means for directly securing said disks, hub sleeve and bracing center to each other.

Signed et Lebanon, lndiene, this 7th day of Jenuery, i920.

ALFRED M. LQFLAND. 

